Charlotte Grieves for Flight Crew, Passengers Lost in D.C. Plane Crash

The collision over the Potomac River was over in seconds. American Eagle Flight 5342, en route to Washington, D.C., from Wichita, never reached its destination. A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, flying in the same airspace, clipped the regional jet. Both aircraft plummeted into the river, killing all 67 on board.

Investigators are sifting through wreckage and flight data, trying to understand why a commercial plane and military helicopter were in the same space at the same time. But for the families of the victims, the answers will come too late.

Charlotte is feeling the loss in ways that are immediate and personal. The entire flight crew was based here. Several passengers, too, had ties to the Queen City.

👉 Read more on the crash investigation

Charlotte’s Flight Crew: Lives Cut Short

Among the four crew members who perished were:

• Ian Epstein, 53, a flight attendant known for his humor and ability to ease nervous passengers’ fears. His ex-wife, Debi Epstein, said he was “always the jokester” and made flying fun. He leaves behind two children. His daughter is getting married in just eight weeks.
• Samuel Lilley, 28, the first officer, was weeks away from getting married. His sister, Tiffany Gibson, said he was “excited to start a family and get a dog.” Lilley had originally tried a marketing career before realizing his true passion was flying.
• Jonathan Campos, 34, the captain, had dreamed of being a pilot since childhood. His aunt told The New York Times that he “wanted to be free, to fly and soar like a bird.” He had worked as a flight instructor before transitioning to commercial aviation.
• Danasia Elder, a flight attendant and mother of two young children. Her brother-in-law, Brandon Payne, described her as “a great wife, a great parent, a great friend.”

👉 Read more about the Charlotte-based crew

Passengers With Charlotte Ties

The Charlotte community is also mourning local passengers who were among the dead.

Wendy Jo Shaffer

Charlotte resident Wendy Jo Shaffer, a mother of two young boys, Shields (3) and Bennett (1), was among those lost.

Her husband, Nathan Shaffer, released a heartbreaking statement:

“I’m still waiting to wake up from this nightmare, but I fear this is the truth. Wendy was not just beautiful on the outside, but was a truly amazing woman through and through. She was the best wife, mother, and friend that anyone could ever hope for.”

Friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her children.

👉 Read more about Wendy Shaffer’s legacy

The Skaters: A Young Generation Lost

Among the 14 figure skaters on board were:

• Cory Haynos, a rising star in U.S. figure skating, killed alongside his parents, Roger and Stephanie Branton Haynos.
• Brielle Beyer, 12, who had survived cancer as an infant and was returning from a skating camp.
• Everly and Alydia Livingston, 11 and 14, sisters from Ashburn, Virginia, who were building a presence in the skating world with 14,000 Instagram followers.
• Angela Yang and Sean Kay, both 11, were an undefeated juvenile ice dance team this season.

Skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former world champions, also died. Their son, Maxim Naumov, had been at the same skating camp but took an earlier flight home.

👉 Read more on the skaters who perished

D.C. Airspace: A Disaster Waiting to Happen

The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport was critically understaffed at the time of the crash. A government report found that two controllers were doing the work of four.

This is not the first close call:

• Just one day before the crash, another jet had to abort a landing to avoid a collision with a helicopter.
• Air traffic controllers were overloaded, forced to combine multiple roles at once.
• The FAA had been warned for years about congestion and safety risks at the airport.

The question now: Why wasn’t anything done before disaster struck?

👉 Read the full report on air traffic failures

The Investigation: What Comes Next?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun a full investigation. Key questions:

• Did air traffic control failures contribute to the crash?
• Were anti-collision systems working properly?
• Why were a military helicopter and a commercial flight allowed to cross paths?

The answers could take months. For families, there will be no justice—only grief.

👉 Follow updates on the investigation

Charlotte Remembers

Charlotte has lost its own. The flight crew was part of daily life at Charlotte Douglas International. The passengers had loved ones waiting for them. They were supposed to land. They never did.

For those left grieving, the pain is only beginning.

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☕ Jack Beckett | Senior Writer, The Charlotte Mercury
📍 If it happens in the Queen City, we write about it. Just let me finish my coffee first.